The Peers Family from Cheshire

other Peers References[until I get around to reproducing these on site, please see this page – includes Peers Wills & Admons in Cheshire plus other parish register transcripts, all originally sent via newsletter by Brian Balderson of Manchester]

The Peers family appear to have been rooted in Cheshire. I am having trouble confirming the origins of the head of the family tree at present. He is Samuel Peers who would have been born about 1789 and he married Elizabeth. From the information obtained in the 1841 census and the parish registers, Samuel married Elizabeth/Betsey Millington on 22nd December, 1819 at Neston 1. In the 1841 census of Eastham, Samuel is an agricultural labourer and he and Elizabeth are living with John Millington (presumably Elizabeth’s father) with daughters Elizabeth and Martha (both 15) and sons John (12) and William (8) 2. These latter two sons fit in with the births of John and William found in the Eastham parish records.According to parish records and census data,

According to the parish registers and census data, Samuel and Elizabeth had the following children:

When John married Jane Messomin 1848, Samuel was listed as a labourer. Elizabeth died aged 61 at Poulton cum Spittle Workhouse on 12th May, 1850 3. The only Elizabeth I could find was buried at Eastham on 15th May, 1850 but her age is listed as 51 and not 61 6. [I need to see the actual entry to be sure]. Samuel died on 12th December, 1853 at Birkenhead Hospital aged 64. A Thomas Reddingwas present at his death. He was buried on 15th December, 1953 at St. Mary’s Birkenhead 6. However, I have been unable to find Samuel in the 1851 census, unless he is the one transcribed incorrectly as Samuel Parrie at Poulton cum Spittle Workhouse (where his wife died, so it would make sense). If that is him, then he was born at Burton and that would give us clues as to his origins. [for example a Samuel Pierce was baptised at Burton on 22nd April, 1794, parents William and Mary.]

John Peers, born in 1829 at Eastham married Jane Messam, daughter of John Messam, on 27th December, 1848 at Neston 4. They were both living in Hargrave at the time. In 1851 they were living at 47 Peter Street, Liverpool(HO107/2160), where John was a dock labourer with an infant son, John. Their children were:

When Elizabeth was born in 1852 they were living in Highfield Street, Liverpool. By the time of the 1861 census they were living at 2 Ruabon Street, Tranmere with children John, Samuel and Robert; no sign of Elizabeth. In 1867 when Susannah was born they lived at 65 Thomas Street, Birkenhead and John was a cart owner5. In 1871 they were living at Seafield House, New Chester Rd, Tranmere where John was now a cart proprietor and in 1881 they were at the same address, John now a team owner 2. Granddaughter Mary Jane was the eldest child of their son Samuel. By the time of the 1891 census, Jane had presumably died [although I cannot find her death entry or her burial] as John was an iron broker and dealer living with his son William at 83 Galloway Road, Tranmere2and in the 1901 census John was living with his daughter Susannah and her husband Henry Evans at 20 Seabank Cottages, Birkenhead. He was 71 years old, a widower and noted as a Master Carter. John died in the latter half of 1901 (aged 70 according to freebmd)7.

His eldest son John Peers, born at Frodsham in 1849, appears to have married Annie Lemmon in 1867 7. According to the 1881 census, when he was living at 16 Beaconsfield Rd, Tranmere , he was a Gas Fitter aged 31 and his wife Annie was a dressmaker aged 30 and born in Liverpool 2. They had three children:

William Robert Peers was born in 1858 at Birkenhead. He married Annie Tremble in early 1881 7. On the 1881 census they are both aged 24 and living at 39 Cobden Street, Tranmere ; William being a painter and paperhanger. They had no children at that time. However by the time of the 1901 census they had had two daughters, a third had died in infancy (and two other unknown children had also died):

At the time of the 1901 census they were living at 29 Greenway Road, Tranmere and in 1911 they were at the same address and William was a ship painter. This census tells us that they had had a total of six children, four of which had died. His daughter Mary was an elementary school teacher and Beatrice, a shorthand writer and typist 2. William died on 8th April, 1922 at Tranmere and is buried at the Landican cemetery (ref 6981).

Charles Ralph Peers, born in 1861, married Lucy Matilda Larner on 8th December, 1884 at Tranmere. They had two sons;

At the time of the 1891 census they were living at 15 Blackpool Street, Birkenhead, Charles was a dock porter. At the same address in 1901, Charles was a cotton warehouse porter and eldest son Ralph an apprentice plumber 2. Their son Ralph Peers married Mary Farel in 1907 and sometime after this they apparently emigrated to America [I was told this by his descendantKeith Hammondthat he had emigrated to Florida]. On 25th June, 1910 Charles and Lucy went to New York on the Campania; their final destination being Philadelphia 8. Presumably they were visiting their son. They returned on 26th July 1910 on the Lusitania into Liverpool 9 . In the 1911 census they were living at 5 Holt Hill, Birkenhead, Charles was an engine man 2. He died on 1st January, 1913 at the Royal Infirmary, Liverpool 10.

I have not been able to find any evidence of young Ralph emigrating and indeed, his daughter Gladys Lucy Peers married in Birkenhead in 1903 and her mother Mary remarried in 1918 in Birkenhead, so we can only assume that Ralph died in America? However, we do find that Lucy, now widow of Charles did go back to the USA on 5th April 1913 on the Campania 8,9in which her final destination is recorded as Sarasota, Florida, which fits with the fact that her son Ralph had reportedly emigrated to Florida. I can find no record of her coming back.

Susannah Peers (1867 – 1906)

Susannah Peers, born on 21st December, 1867 at 65 Thomas Street, Birkenhead. She was baptised on 12th February, 1868 at Brunswick Wesleyan Methodist Chapel Tranmere. By the time of the 1891 census, Susannah was living with two elderly sisters Elizabeth and Priscilla Towers as a servant at 130 Bedford Road, Tranmere.

Susannah married Henry Evans, son of William Evans and Ellen Jones on 26th March, 1894 at St. Paul’s Tranmere 4 and they had two sons. Susannah’s father John Peers was living with them at the time of the 1901 census, Susannah died on 9th January, 1906 at 20 Seaband Cottages, Tranmere aged 37 3. She was buried at Bebbington cemetery on 12th January.